Meat processing plants have become major hotspots for coronavirus outbreaks because employees work in close proximity to one another, which makes social distancing very difficult. Across the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 4,913 COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths have been reported among approximately 130,000 workers at 115 meat processing facilities in 19 states. Many meat processing plants have failed to provide basic protections like face masks, plexiglass barriers between workers, or paid sick leave to frontline employees. The Tyson Fresh Meats Plant in Washington State, the largest meat-packing plant in the state, was temporarily closed in April after more than a 100 employees tested positive for COVID-19. The plant has since resumed operations after testing all employees, but unions and health officials alike have advocated for greater health protections for workers, including adequate social distancing measures, even if it slows operations.

Over the past few months, there have been news stories about virus outbreaks at U.S. meat processing facilities. With many ill workers, some meat processing facilities closed temporarily, which resulted in a decrease in meat and pork in markets and grocery stores.

People who live or work in places where they are close to other people are at increased risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. While separating employees from one another by at least 6 feet (2 meters) or implementing COVID-19 specific sanitation guidelines have been effective in controlling spread of the virus in some work environments, these control measures have been difficult to implement in meat/pork processing facilities.  Furthermore, employee attendance and sick leave policies, crowded living conditions, and limited protective equipment availability and use may also contribute to COVID-19 spread. To reduce the spread of COVID-19 in meat/pork processing facilities, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests using routine symptom screening as well as “improving physical distancing, hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, and medical leave policies, and providing educational materials in languages spoken by workers.”